A Foggy New Year's Eve 2007

This was how thick the fog was this morning,

I went out to run a few errands and the sun was trying to say hello. . .

A couple hours later the sun was trying to peek out from behind the clouds.

Not all trees are bare when they lose their leaves. . .

Ok went and got close ups. . . I think a few of you guessed correctly about the kind of tree. This one had fallen on the ground. Well, lots had but I took a photo of that one.

I don't know why people can't see my tree branch photo. . . I even took it off and re-loaded it. I have always seen it.



I have no idea what kind of tree this is but when I looked up at the bus stop this morning, I saw all, or most all, of the leaves were off the limbs and yet the tree was FULL. It's branches were laden with those round little spikey cones. I had never seen this on a tree before and found it interesting. This is not the whole tree but a side branch of a big tree. Of anyone knows what kind of a tree it is, please let me know. (Click on it to enlarge.)

Blog Your Blessings Sunday #12

Go here if you would like to participate: Blue Panther

Well, I think it is appropriate to ponder on my blessings in 2007 for today's post since it will be the last posting for this group in 2007. Happy New Year to all fellow bloggers and may you realize and thank God for the blessings you receive daily.
HEALTH
Last year at this time, I had gone to the emergency room -- not once but twice! Through all those tests, no one could determine what was the matter with me. Eventually, I found a doctor who thought I might be having trouble with my blood pressure so I am on meds for it and I haven't felt any pains like took me to the hospital in the first place. Since I take one pill (two meds in one) daily, I have taken more meds in the past year than my whole life and I am no spring chicken. So my blessing here is that I am still breathing and have affordable meds available to keep me in check.
HOME
The next big blessing is that I have a place to live and am warm inside, unlike many homeless people which I might have become if God hadn't led me to this affordable housing unit.
FRIENDS
Good, faithful friends who are there for me no matter what are certainly on this list of blessings. I hope they value my friendship also. This includes those who live near and far and ones I have never met but know from blogging online.
WEATHER
The snow we had to begin this year and the recent teases of snow so far to end it. I LOVE SNOW! To me it is a blessing whether I am shoveling someone's driveway, playing in it or taking photos.
NATURE--GOD'S POSTCARDS
The blessings in the beauty of nature that provides postcards for me and my blog when I go for my walks are definitely on this list

I am sure there are a multitude of blessings that I could list individually but my focus today is on these. I pray that I will be blessed with them in the coming year. That is also my wish for my blogger friends: good health, warm homes, friends,weather they want or need, and enough opportunities for the thing they enjoy most of all

Just a few more to share. . .

I made many more but when clearing my desktop, I found these and decided to share here too.

Snow again!

Well, although it snowed for hours on Thursday, I couldn't find any sticking to the ground for a long time. I traveled all over the city and even went to battleground to find it. No luck. I must have been too late as people told me they ahd snow in battleground earlier. Flakes were still coming down but mixed with rain . I finally got over to the eastern part of our city, a place called orchards, and found some!!!!!!!!!!! Not much, but at least it was proof that it had snowed.

Maybe I will get snow for my birthday in January like last year.

Sky Watch Friday #8

If you want to join Sky Watch Friday blogging, go here for the blogroll.
Skywatch

I finally made it out to the new transit center and this is what greeted me as I arrived via bus:

This is the clock tower at the new Salmon Creek Park and Ride (C-Tran bus depot). See the blue sky and big puffy white clouds that blew in after our Christmas snow.


Here is a different view and close up of the clock area. Can you see that tiny bit of blue sky peeking through? The white surrounding the clock tower is from fluffy clouds.

A few more of the cards I made. . .

I don't have any other photos to use for Thursday on my blog so I decided to ut a few more of the ones of cards I made for Christmas on --some of the stamps are the same but the way I put them together is always a bit different.

If you want to see more cards, go here: first group
or another group

Christmas snow. . . briefly

Looking out my 8th floor window while using my computer, it started snowing big flakes! I decided it was time to go visit Myrl as I might have to shovel her driveway first if I was lucky! Ü The big flakes hit the bus windshield and were so pretty! Even the dispatcher at C-tran got in the spirit and piped "White Christmas" over the radio for us. I was really enjoying myself! It is the first snow on Christmas Day since I moved here in 1985. It lasted one hour and ten minutes and nothing stuck on the streets which was good for drivers, I guess. These are the pitiful photos I got. Hopefully, we will get more snow here in the valley this winter. It is supposed to have snow flurries for several more days but who knows.

Christmas moon/winter moon

I was on my way to church for the 10:00 PM Christmas service and was waiting at the bus stop when I glanced up and saw the new moon. It was beautiful! I thought, "What a great light to shine for Jesus on His birthday!" I guess those wise men wouldn't have any trouble seeing their way if they had a full moon like this. . . Ü

I wasn't sure how the photos would come out so I took these with flash




and this one without.

BIG difference!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas to all my blog visitors! CLICK on the photo to enlarge and read the message. Have wonderful celebrations and look forward to a terrific New Year!

Blog Your Blessing #11

Go here if you would like to participate: Blue Panther


First of all, let me wish each and every one of you who celebrate, a Blessed Christmas! May your New Year be one that keeps the memory of that first Christmas, when we all received the gift of Grace through a Savior, present in your daily lives.

The weatherman is predicting snow in the valley (where I live) for Christmas!

I'm soooooooo happy; this is one time that I LOVE the weatherman. I am praying that he is right on target with his prediction. I enjoy snow so much! I know, I know. I wrote about snow last week for my blessing but really, I was writing about the blessing of patience while waiting for it. This time I am going to write about TRUST as a blessing.

I TRUST that when I get to heaven, I will see snow. SNOW is talked about throughout the Bible--sometimes in sad ways and others with a very positive outlook. In heaven, it can only be positive. Some references referring to snow:

Job 38:22, God refers to the "storehouses of the snow." I wonder if there will be storehouses of snow in heaven? Maybe one with my name on it? One that is never empty. . . the more snow I remove and use, the more that is piled high in my storehouse?

Proverbs 31:21 says: "When it snows she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet." Thinking the connotation for this verse. I feel it refers to the blood that covers us because Jesus shed it to cloth us all in His righteousness which is white as snow.

Well, here I am seeminly getting off track again. . . but, really, I am not. I am just thinking of how often God's WORD to us referred to snow. (I only mentioned two today but there are many more.) What a wonderful gift it will be for me and others who love SNOW to have it blanket the earth where we live as we celebrate Jesus' birthday this year! Thus, I am going to trust the weather report.

No matter whether you enjoy the snow as much as I do or not, my prayer for you all as you shovel the sidewalks, drive to places to celebrate with family and friends or just relax in your own warm home, may you take the time to admire the beauty of the snow, remembering the connection to Jesus and give God the praise and thanks for making each of us "whiter than snow"

My new plants. . .

I ran into Fred Meyer's to look for a gravy mix for Christmas. . . to go with my roast. Paid for it and was walking out with the roast from Butcher Block and the gravy mix. THEN, I saw it!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been looking for a starter Christmas cactus ever since a room mate this summer dumped my plant stand and broke the one I had growing from Myrl's plant. I was just sick about it as it had taken me 4 years to get that big.

This cactus was already blooming even tho it was small! I hope I can take good care of it so that it can grow like Myrl's very old plant or like Sami's. . .

I also saw another plant there that was unusual and I had to investigate. It had white flowers blooming already. It is called White Star. Of course I had to have that too! I splurged and bought me them for Christmas.

When I got home, I repotted the Christmas cactus because I had a little bit of potting soil and some new pots I had bought earlier in the year. There wasn't enough to repot the other one but that is okay because it is a bulb and dies in about three months and re-grows again in the spring, or so the card says.I just put the pot and all in another new flower pot for that one temporarily.

I am sure going to enjoy these plants. . .